Margaret Vant Erve:
Influences and Techniques
The concept of painting with
threads is not a new one. Embroidery
has been practiced by many cultures for thousands of years. It is indeed one of the first forms of
artistic expression. I have chosen to
express my images in this ancient medium because I love it’s rich history, it’s
technical challenges, and the beauty and three dimensional quality that thread
offers.
Each piece of work begins
with a photograph I have taken of a place or study that is special to me. From the photographs I develop a sketch and
then determine how I will translate the
image into paint and embroidery. I
always begin with painting. I use silk
paints, which have a fluid translucency and are good for skies and water,
textile paints which are more viscous and used on fields or for more opaque
backgrounds and pencil crayons are used
for details. Once the painting is
completed, I transfer the outlines of all my focal points onto the painted
fabric and I begin the embroidery. I
use machine embroidery sometimes for it’s coarser texture in trees and
shrubs. Primarily I use hand
embroidery, working with fine silks that can be color blended in the needle, or
single strands of cotton flosses. I
usually have several needles working at the same time to achieve the color
blending I desire.
I am often asked how long
each piece takes. This is a hard
question to answer because there is always so much work beforehand in
discovering the image and working through technical challenges, and again after
completion in determining the appropriate framing and bringing it to you, the
viewer. Once I have my drawing , it
takes between 20 to 60 hours to paint and embroidery a piece.
Another question frequently
asked is how I learned this technique. I studied art and textile design at Sheridan College and the Ontario
College of Art. Embroidery initially
came to me through a tiny shop and school on Heath St. in Toronto called ‘One
Stitch at a Time’. I combined my
studies at art school with embroidery instruction. I have continued to study with many renowned teachers and
in 2001 I completed my two-year teacher's certification through the Embroiderers’
Association of Canada. I teach workshops throughout Canada.
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